Adele Used Her Quarter-Life Crisis to Write "25" — How Can You Use Yours?

It seems like Adele wouldn't have anything to worry about given that Billboard voted her album 21 to be the greatest album of all time this week. Not to mention that her recently dropped single, "Hello" (you may have heard of it/listen to it on repeat 24/7) sold a record 1.1 million downloads its first week, according to Nielsen Music, and 635,000 the following, which is the most ever for an artist in a non-debut week. And there’s no doubt the album will be a smash hit when it’s released on Nov. 20.

However, winning dozens of Grammy Awards and being a music sensation doesn't mean that she also didn’t have one of those, 'What am I doing with my life?' moments when she turned 25.

In a recent interview, she said, "I'm sort of in that weird limbo state where you're deciding, what is the next chapter of my life? That's what all my friends and me are going through: We're having that early-life crisis you have at around 25, looking at 30. We know we have to enter adulthood, but we’re all a bit frightened and sad about it." Adele really is just like us.

But even more important than the fact that Adele is incredibly relatable is that she also taught us an important lesson about handling stress: you could use to fuel a new project. In a Facebook post before "Hello" was released, she wrote, "Turning 25 was a turning point for me, slap bang in the middle of my twenties. Teetering on the edge of being an old adolescent and a fully-fledged adult. I made the decision to go into becoming who I’m going to be forever without a removal van full of my old junk."

Though many people have quarter-life crises because they feel they haven't reached the place they wanted to be at 25, reaching that point and exceeding it can be just as daunting for some. "I don’t think I'll ever have more success with an album than I did with 21. Every album I ever make will be following 21, because of the impact that album had." But sometimes knowing that can be freeing. "It took the pressure off, so that my only goal now is to make music that I like — and that resonates with other people."

How can you use a life crisis to your advantage, especially if you don’t have the amazing songwriting talents of Adele?

1. Vent
If you do like to write like Adele, then do it. But you can also use this time to talk to a friend or a mentor, who's most likely been through something similar.

2. Don't stay in your box
Yes, you may be a lawyer or work in finance, but that doesn't define you. What are your hobbies? Is there a sports group you can join? Do things that make you happy while you're figuring it out.

3. Remember, you aren't alone
Everyone, including Adele, has moments where the wonder what the heck they're doing with their life. Remember that.